1260/Hey, you, with the hair!

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Hey, you, with the hair!
Date of Scene: 03 July 2017
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Starfire, Ares




Starfire has posed:
So the site, such as it was, was in incredible disarray. Most of the workers set for today were tasked with cleaning up the mess - and what was the mess?

"Thankfully, they left the girders in place already attached, but... seriously? Our crane? That's gonna cost a fortune to replace!"

The skeleton of the high rise was still in place, but there was now, essentially, a crater in the ground where much of what was to become the first floor stood, as if someone had taken a giant ice cream scoop and just scooped out bits of concrete. So /that/ was a thing. And all of the extra metal that had been lying around, in prep for being taken up to the top on the crane, that was gone.

As for the crane itself...

"How come no one /noticed/ this happenening?!" The foreman was livid. The crane itself was missing the actual crane part that stuck up into the air, having been brought down to what was essentially, tread and engine and cabin. Someone had stolen most of the raw materials - and the scent or feeling of magic - darker magic - would effuse the area.

Ares has posed:
    It was John Aaron's first day back to work after what had passed for him. The reason he had given was family emergency, which was... technically correct. But still the foreman had given him the eye and said, "I'm onta you, Aaron. I'm ontaaaa yooou." But he was still within his allocated limits of personal days, rarely takes breaks, and often when tasked with management gets his job done ahead of schedule and under budget.
    Still, somethin' about that guy.
    But now, he stands amongst some of the men, looking over the debris with his strong arms folded over his broad chest. He shoots a glance towards the foreman's question and then answers. "There is no point in complaining about what has passed. Report it, allow the higher ups to adjust strategy. We should just do this that we can do and make the site suitable for continuation."
    Always the smart aleck, that John Aaron. Still. He might well have a point.
    But he contributes as he takes up a large portion of the crane's debris and shoulders it, starting to walk off to the side and away from the foreman, conveniently passed the entrance to the site.

Starfire has posed:
    There was something about that guy. Starfire herself - or, rather, Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran - had been thinking about that little encounter. But she wasn't precisely the library sort, and while she was often more clever than people tended to give her credit for due to her bubbly personality - her clumsiness with using the Titans systems lent itself more to frustration than enlightment.

    She would harass Beast Boy about it later.

    But what /had/ happened was she ended up viewing the film '300' over the time since she last saw John. Because the images that the Google computer had shown her had seemed at least partly similar to what she had seen in the street.

    Except it wasn't near as frightening as what the other man had appeared like. Mysteries abound.

    But as it turned out, one of the other Titans had informed her of a mystical disturbance. Now, this was part of something /else/ that draws her there, to this construction site. Now, the Google had informed her of many stereotypes of construction workers, but Vinny at the pizza place offered her a different answer. 'Buy them pizza - it wins over everyone'.

    To be fair, this was Vinny's answer for everything, but it was something that worked on Star herself. And so she was a convert to the church of the Pizza.

    Around lunchtime, Koriand'r's form would be seen floating over the fence that protected the public from wandering onto a construction site, five pizza boxes stacked atop each other. "Hello, builders!" she calls. "I am Starfire, and I come with a gift in exchange for looking at your construction site!" she calls. It was in this moment - the section of the fence that she had chosen was very near John's position.

    And Star kinda looks down at him, with a rather intent, if kinda blank look. He was triggering memories in her mind.

Ares has posed:
    And there he was, standing there with the yellow hard hat on his head and his brown eyes turned sidelong towards hers. That might be the memory that triggers for him at the least. Not to say she wasn't memorable. But it was that instant while they were both crouched behind the large shield, holding off the fury of Phobos' rage and he met her gaze. It's those same eyes, for her and for him. Some would perhaps attempt to play it off, others would perhaps attempt to rush off and evade the scene.
    But John? He looks up with an eyebrow cocking and a small exhalation comes from him, silent, a ghost of a laugh as he shakes his head. Then he offers greeting with a small nod of his head and... he keeps going on his way. To toss that debris on the ground near the scrap pile.
    Turning back towards her he dusts his hands, slapping the gloves together and then on his jeans. He definitely looks different than when she first saw him. He has no armor, no weapons, and whatever injury he must have had he has recovered. He asks her, "Do you know what has passed here?"

Starfire has posed:
    So, the foreman. Drawn by the commotion, it probably took a little bit of finagling - but Star was very very earnest, and some of the men had already taken some pizza. "It is to stop a crime, and I do not know if the police truely know what had happened here," were the arguments that pushed it over the edge for the already irritated foreman.

    "Just don't touch anything, alright?!"

    "Oh, I will treat your place of building with the utmost respect - and I hope to give you clues so that you can help find your things again." The foreman waves her off, already up to his eyeballs in insurance paperwork. With all the superheroes lately, insurance premiums were probably much higher than normal.

    Those eyes - they seemed so familiar to Star - and although the workers had fallen upon her pizza and were demolishing it, Star had grabbed a slice for herself, and was munching on it, her eyes tracking towards John properly. "That is why I am here to look. There is a man, ah... he is grabbing stone and other materials," she says. A beat. "He robbed a bank, and took only the vault, leaving the money and gems inside, yes?" says Star.

    "And I see here, that all of your materials are missing - this is very suspicious, yes?" she says, quirking her head to the side like an owl. "I remember you... I think. Do you sometimes wear armor, hold a shield, and jump between dimensions?" she asks.

Ares has posed:
    "That is very strange," He says, emphasizing the second word slightly as he listens to her explanation. The tall man furrows his brow as he considers the large crater, then gives the place another once over slowly. But then she lifts her voice to offer her question to him about his gear and what passed before. So he answers with a small grunt and a nod, taking that instant to look sidelong towards the other workers. None are close enough to truly eavesdrop, perhaps intimidated by the floating orange lady with the green eyes. But some of them have seen in the past that John... his life is not very normal at times.
    "A few days past, I remember you. You enjoy my thanks for your aid." He pulls off his helmet and pushes a rough hand over his short stubbly hair, then looks at her sidelong. "This place has an ill feeling, there is an imbalance. Some foul magic has been at work."
    Slowly he kneels and touches his hand to the soil around the crater, lifting it up and letting it fall from his hand with a slow turn of the palm. "A being who cares perhaps more about a particular form of matter or the mass of it. Perhaps an alchemist of a sort who cares not a whit for gold or ill gotten gain."

Starfire has posed:
    Star was rarely in an position where she was intimidating people. Usually, in spite of her unusual appearance, people tended to approach her regardless - but construction workers, at least here - might be a little gunshy. What if /she/ were the one that did it, after all?!

    Still, she brought pizza. Taking another big bite of her pepperoni, Starfire inclines her head towards John at his strange remark. But then - a GASP. "So that /was/ you?!" she says, her tone of voice lifting up in surprise. "Whatever was going on? Did you defeat him? The spartan with the frightening helmet?" she asks. Well, at least her 'research' helped her with a few things.

    Another beat, at what he says. "I do not feel anything - but this gives more clues. The last time I met him, he shocked me out of the air, yes? With some sort of magic, so..." Star falls quiet as Ares works.

    "An alchemist," she says, understanding the 'chemist' part of the word and mentally running with that. "If you can sense the magic, can you sense what he is doing with it - or have any idea?" Another beat, and Star blinks. "Oh! I am Starfire - ah... Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran. It's nice to meet you," she says, offering her hand and a smile.

Ares has posed:
    Rising from his crouch, John gives her a nod and tells her, "Yes, I did." Defeat him that is, he furrows his brow and looks at the woman levelly. "Perhaps someday, if you wish, we will share the story." He offers that at the least as he meets her eyes. She's a bit taller than most of the women he knows, but he's still a touch taller... at least when she's not floating. But he turns to face her fully as she extends her hand and his own finds hers. His handshake is warmer than she might be accustomed to, and there are callouses upon his hands, but there's no aggression in the grip. Short, simple, business-like. Two pumps, done.
    "My name is John Aaron," A small glance to the side is given, then he looks to her, "My co-workers believe I am a normal individual. I would appreciate if you would maintain that facade."
    With that said he turns back to the crater and takes another breath, exhaling it with a hint of a sigh. "I do not know what type of magic. It is beyond my ken and I am not an individual who was exceedingly gifted in that area of expertise."

Starfire has posed:
    And Star was floating at the moment. She did hover over the fence, earlier, but she felt that it would be best if she wasn't floating all around. But with the supervisor saying 'do not touch anything', she assumed the ground was a part of that, and so she was hovering, her thighs pointed downwards, and legs tucked back behind herself, the heels of her purple boots hanging in the air.

    And occasionally waggling.

    "I would like to hear this story, yes. You seem... ah..." she was being loud, and he just chided her about such things. So after the handshake, she nods her head, leaning in as if sharing a secret. "You seem very much to fight like certain Earth warrior, and a warrior tradition is something that I appreciate, very much," she says, straightening up again after the whisper.

    "Do you think that... this person is getting the materials from this site because you are here? Perhaps they are drawn to you?" she asks, canting her head to the side. That was unlikely, it was probably mostly coincidence - as all it did was leave his magical calling card fresh in the area - as opposed to going undetected for a handful of days, or however long it would take for the evil touch of his magic to fade.

    "But well, John Aaron. If he comes back, you can contact the Titans at the tower as well - we would be happy to come to protect your ah... to protect your bosses' site," she says, a bit too loudly. She was about to say to protect his secret identity, but... that would have been the wrong thing to say.

    Star gives him a brilliant smile.

Ares has posed:
    "Mmm," John Aaron watches her sidelong as if trying to get an angle on this alien woman, his frown is a touch wary. But then it shifts into a wry smirk as he shakes his head. "Perhaps I do. You will have to tell me all of it,"
    But then she'll see him look back towards the crater as she asks him of it. "It could be because of me, but usually those who have ill will for me tend to be more... direct." John starts to walk around the perimeter of the large crater, perhaps assuming she will float after him as he moves.
    Then he lifts his voice louder, as if to answer her, "That will be appreciated. I am sure he will take you up on your offer." The tall broad-shouldered man looks over his shoulder, checking if the foreman might well be watching. Who knows? Perhaps. At least he isn't doing so terribly obviously.
    Then back to her, quietly, "Princess Koriand'r, I do mean it truly that I appreciated your aid. I appreciate your discretion. And if you wish to know of my warrior tradition then we shall share words and drink and regale each other with tales of our exploits." He pulls a small blank slip of white paper, as well as an eraserless pencil from his blue buttoned down shirt's pocket. A few scribbles are written on there, simply, '-J,' and then a number.
    Offering it to her he tells her, "I am afraid I must return to work, I will keep my eyes open and contact the Titans if I gain more information."

Starfire has posed:
    Taking the slip of paper, Starfire nods her head towards Ares. Tucking it into a pouch on her vest, Star gives a wider smile towards John. "Perhaps when we discover more about this mage, we could meet - and share what we know. Perhaps we could help each other?" she says, canting her head a bit to one side, likewise glancing over Ares' shoulder to look for the foreman. Seeing nothing, she turns her eyes back towards Ares proper, canting her head owlishly to one side.

    "Yes, thank you, John - it was wonderful to meet with you as well - but thank you for your help. If you find anything here... please be careful. If this is who I think it is... he leaves little statues that turn out to be traps, so please be worried of any strange art that you or your crew did not make themselves," says Starfire.

    A beat further, and she lifts a hand in a wave, lifting off, turning to call back to the site at large. "THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME VISIT, YOU WERE ALL MOST KIND!" she calls, her voice fairly... booming, actually, when she puts her mind to it. And with a little green nimbus of energy, she darts off, her motions tracked by cell phones everywhere.